Sautéed Rice Noodles with Spicy Minced Pork

Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork is one of the famous dishes in China.

Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork is one of the famous dishes in China. It is also called ‘Ants Climbing Trees’ in Chinese. Why does it have this name? That’s because the pork looks like the ants and the rice noodles look like the trees.

蚂蚁上树是一道在中国非常受欢迎的菜。为什么会有这个名字呢？因为啊，猪肉看起来像蚂蚁，米粉看起来像树木咯。

A legend has it said that Dou E, one of the characters in a drama called ‘Snow in Midsummer’ in Yuan Dynasty. She was sold to a family as child bride by his father. In order to take good care of her sick mother - in -law, Dou E always cooked different dishes with limited food material. One day the salesman just gave her a little piece of pork when she prepared the dinner as Dou has not paid the previous bill yet.

Although the food material was limited, Dou's idea was unlimited. She minced the pork and cooked them with rice noodles. When she served her mother-in-law, the elder thought those minced pork were ants. After listening Dou's explanation, she named the dish ‘Ants Climbing Trees’.